A new crisis
by Water Runs Deep
Summary: Crossover with F.E.A.R. When a rogue government agent steals the new generation of REPLICA soldiers the F.E.A.R. team is called in to combat him. But why is he after five ordinary girls?Please review! I'm begging you!
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1**

**Reenlistment **

'**_Heracles' compound, Nevada desert_**

Sam Winston wasn't very happy with his life. His wife was the most hideous creature in the world, his mother had died a year ago and on top of all he had the dullest job in the world. He sat in his chair in the security office, legs crossed, wondering just what the hell was he doing here. This was one of the most secure places in the nation: state-of-the-art defense turrets, infrared scanners, motion detectors, the works! Even so 'Armacham' felt the need to make his life even more boring than it already was by putting him on the night watch. If it wasn't for the handsome paycheck which he received every month he'd be long gone. Sam checked the security feed from the…'Storage facility'. It was the same creepy sight. They were just standing in the dark, hundreds of them. Armed and ready for action. Sam had heard from one of the other guards that some sort of incident had occurred two years ago. During that time he was still working in a bank in DC but he remembered that broadcast in the news about a small nuke going of in an abandoned part of the city. Maybe there was a connection. He tried not to think about it.

'_Might as well get some coffee_.' He thought and got up.

Sam yawned and went outside. It was already 5 a.m. He groaned and proceeded towards the coffee machine at the bottom of the hall. He was in the mood for a hot espresso. His shift ended at in an hour. Sam closed his eyes and tried to picture the breakfast which his wife was going to prepare for him when he got home. He smirked.

'_At least she can cook!'_

Suddenly he stopped. He heard footsteps. The guard turned around startled but saw nothing.

'Is someone there?'

The sound of footsteps was getting stronger. Someone was coming!

'_Nobody's supposed to be here!'_

Sam drew his handgun and took cover behind a large plant. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and waited. Soon a short silver-haired man appeared from behind the corner. He was dressed in black and held a card key in his right hand. Sam recognized him immediately. It was Marshal Disler, a senior 'Armacham' employee. He had seen him before. Disler was a biophysicist who worked on project 'Heracles'. But what was he doing here this late? Sam studied him as he used the keycard on a security panel. The grille, blocking the passage to the elevators, was lifted. Sam was confused. Usually when someone had to work here overnight the guards would be informed. He cautiously stood up from behind the plant and started:

'Um…mister Disler?'

Disler did not reply. He just stood next to the panel, stiff as a board.

'Mister Disler, what are you doing here?'

Again there was no response. Sam was starting to worry. He slowly approached him and tapped him on the shoulder. Nothing. The guard studied his face. Something was definitely wrong. Disler was completely motionless. Sam looked into his eyes and was startled. It was like looking into the abyss: there was nothing there. Suddenly he heard a 'Click' noise behind him and felt something pressed against the back of his head. The guard turned pale. Someone was holding a gun against him.

'Move!' A cold voice behind him ordered.

Horrified, Sam raised his arms and slowly proceeded towards the elevators.

'_How the hell did he get pass the defenses!' _

It didn't matter. Whoever he was he had the upper hand. The guard decided to play along. When they reached the elevators the man behind him said:

'Activate them!'

Sam hesitated for a moment but then he came to his senses. His life was on the line. He took out a key from his pocket and used it to unlock a panel on the wall. He opened it flipped a switch, diverting power to the elevators. A green light went on, indicating that they were now active.

'Turn around!'

Sam slowly turned around and saw his assailant. He was a tall man, probably in his early thirties, with short black hair and pail skin. He was dressed in a gray mackintosh and held a Glock 22 pistol in his right hand.

'Who are you?' The guard finally asked.

A smirk appeared on the man's face.

'Some riddles are best left unsolved.'

The last thing that came to Sam's mind before he was knocked unconscious was:

'_I should have called in sick today!'_

The stranger put his gun away and stepped inside the elevator. Then he closed his eyes and focused. The telepathic link between him and Disler was reestablished. He ordered the scientist to join him. The other man obeyed and slowly stepped inside. As the doors closed the stranger issued his next order:

'_Take me to them!'_

Disler approached the call button panel and pressed the one labeled 'Barracks'. The elevator started the descent into the underground complex. The stranger was pleased. This would mark the beginning of his triumph. In a few moments he would finally have the means to set his plan in motion. Three minutes later they stopped. The doors opened and the two men stepped outside. They were now facing an enormous steel gate. Disler approached a nearby security console and entered a code. A 'Hiss' noise was heard as the gate slowly moved aside. Apparently it was air-tight. It didn't matter. The stranger was amazed. They were more beautiful than he had imagined. He slowly entered the enormous chamber, shaking from excitement. This was more than he had hoped for. There were hundreds of them. Row after row. Just standing there. They were called REPLICA, highly trained and heavily armed clone soldiers. And they were now his. All he had to do now was to activate them. This would require all of his mental strength. He turned back to Disler, who was still standing next to the console.

'Thank you, mister Disler.' He said with a cold and somewhat sarcastic tone.

The sound of gunfire echoed throughout the huge facility and Disler fell dead on the ground. He had no more use for him. The man now focused all of his power into one goal: to awaken the clones. He felt horrible pane as he channeled enormous amounts of psychic energy into the brains of the soldiers in an attempt to free their suppressed minds. He fell on his knees and started screaming. And just then the soldiers raised their weapons. They were now active. The man carefully stood up and studied them. There were different models-some with visors, some with gas masks, some with heavier armor. The bottom line was they obeyed only him now. And that thought filled him with joy. One of the soldiers stepped forward and yelled in a military fashion:

'Lt. Commander Sigma-Ten reporting for duty, sir!

'_Sir. I like the sound of that!'_ The stranger thought and replied out loud:

'Excellent! My name is Riddle and I will be your field commander until further notice. Is that understood?'

The soldiers replied in chorus with a quick '_Sir, yes, sir!'._

'Now, grab any piece of equipment you can find and prepare to move out. We leave within the hour.'

Before he had even finished the soldiers were already on their way. Sigma-Ten approached Riddle.

'If I may ask, sir, where are we going?'

Riddle in return smiled and stated:

'Heatherfield, lt. commander. We're going to Heatherfield.'


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

**The new guys**

**_F.E.A.R. headquarters, Location: CLASSIFIED_**

David Cole, the F.E.A.R. point man, entered the briefing room. Jin Sun-Kwon and Douglas Holiday were already there. David took his place beside Jin and waited for Rowdy Betters, the F.E.A.R. commissioner, to show up.

'Do you know what's going on?' He asked the korean.

Jin shrugged her shoulder. A few moments of uncomfortable silence followed. Holiday decided to speak first:

'So, um…how are you doing?'

The point man felt tired. He hadn't slept decently in two years. Two years! It seemed only like yesterday. He had thought that the nightmares would go away eventually but he was wrong.

'I'm fine.' He lied.

Betters entered the room holding a folder. He threw it before David and Jin and started:

'Okay…we find ourselves in a familiar situation.'

The others exchanged troubled glances.

'Meaning?'

'At exactly 5:15 a.m. last night there was a break-in in a secret 'Armacham' research facility.'

Somehow David knew what the commissioner was going to say but remained quiet. Betters typed something on the console behind him. The viewscreen showed something that brought up painful memories in the point man's mind.

'Not again!' Jin sighed.

It was a recording of REPLICA clones activating under the command of a person, who David had never seen before. An Elite stepped forward.

'_Lt. commander Sigma-Ten reporting for duty, sir!'_

'_Excellent! My name is Riddle and I will be your field commander until further notice. Is that understood?'_

'_SIR, YES, SIR!'_

'_Now, grab any piece of equipment you can find and prepare to move out. We leave within the_

_hour.' _

The soldiers dispersed throughout the massive compound. The Elite once again approached the tall man:

'_If I may ask, sir, where are we going?'_

'_Heatherfield, lt. commander. We're going to Heatherfield.'_

And with that the recording ended. Betters turned back to the F.E.A.R. team who had surprise written all over their faces.

'Who the hell is this guy?' Holiday asked.

'A complete mystery. I've checked the database and that's all I've found'

He pointed at the folder. Jin carefully opened it. It contained a picture and a few lose documents. One particular attracted her attention:

_Codename: Riddle_

_Real name: Unknown_

_Age: 33_

_Profession: Interpol detective_

The korean was baffled.

'That's it?'

'Like I said, he's a mystery. I've been trying to convince Interpol to give us some more details. They say that we'll have the info in an hour.' The commissioner replied and pulled a chair.

'Anything else?' David asked. Betters nodded.

'They've stolen enough equipment to wage a small war: Mi-24 gunships, REV6 armor, rifles, rocket launchers, etc. Not to mention the newest generation of 'Armacham' experimental weaponry.'

Holiday thought that it couldn't get any worse. However the commissioner hadn't finished:

'It gets worse.'

'How so?' David asked concerned.

Betters scratched his forehead and replied:

'Let's just say that you have something in common now.'

The point man gave him a horrified look.

'What the fuck is that supposes to mean?'

'They're your clones!'

David's heart sank into his stomach. This was way too much. He tried to say something but couldn't find the right words.

Betters expected this kind of reaction from him. He had tried to forget everything that happened. They all did. And now history was repeating itself. He noticed that Jin had raised her hand.

'Yes?'

'How many of them are there?' She asked in hope that the commissioner would give them some good news. But she was about to be disappointed.

'About fifty thousand.'

David sighed. It was hard enough the last time when there was only one battalion. Now they would have to face a whole division.

Betters decided that it was time for some positive reinforcement:

'Look, we've been through this! If we neutralize this Riddle guy we'll solve our problems. We know where he's going so that kind of makes it easier.'

'Why Heatherfield?' Jin asked.

The commissioner seemed even more puzzled than her. He replied with a smirk on his face:

'That's what we're gonna find out. I've got a helo ready for takeoff. You leave as soon as possible.'

'I'll go get my camera!' Holiday joked.

Just as Betters was about to leave the briefing room he stopped.

'Oh, I almost forgot!'

He ran back to the control console and said over the intercom:

'You can come in now!'

The F.E.A.R. team fixed their sight on the opening door. Before Betters had the chance to stop him David jumped up, drew his handgun and aimed it at the newcomers all in one fluid motion. Jin's eyes widened with surprise.

'Dave, what-'

She suddenly realized what caused the point man's alarming reaction. Four REPLICA soldiers entered the room. To her shock Betters jumped between David and them, yelling:

'DAVE, NO! THEY'RE ON OUR SIDE!'

The point man couldn't believe what he was hearing. He glanced at the confused Holiday, then back at the soldiers and finally at the commissioner.

'Explain!' He demanded.

'These are your new squad mates!' Betters quickly replied.

The Replicants nodded. David couldn't move. It was like someone had just ran fifty thousand volts of electricity through his body. Finally he decided to stand down. Betters sighed relieved and sat on the nearest chair. Sudden silence followed. Jin covered her mouth with her hand and Holiday felt his jaw drop. In the meantime the point man studied the soldiers. Each was a different model. One of them had a gasmask on. Another was wearing night vision goggles and a helmet. A 'Heavy Armor' was also present. So was an Elite.

'You know, it's rude to stare!' The one with the gasmask stated.

The point man felt strange. He used to have gunfights with Replicants. Not conversations!

'Why don't we just take these damn things of?!' The soldier continued. He reached to the back of his head and pulled back a zipper. As he took of the gasmask David made a surprising revelation: he was a 'she'! A beautiful young woman with short red hair and green eyes. The others followed her example. Whoever they were one thing was certain-they were no clones. The 'Heavy Armor' was a rough-looking fellow with strong brown eyes and very short hair. He reminded David of Jankowski. The one with night vision goggles looked like he had seen some action. His face was covered in battle scars that gave him an intimidating look. As their eyes met the point men felt a shiver down his spine. Finally David studied the Elite. He was about his age, slightly pale and with tar-black hair which complemented his eye color. They all seemed…normal. The point man felt uncomfortable. He decided that an apology was in order:

'Look, um…sorry for-'

Before he could finish the Elite said:

'No problem.'

'Dave, I forgot to mention that 'Armacham' are helping us on this one. They've given us complete access to all of their equipment.' Better explained.

'I see. Well then-'

Once again the point man was interrupted, this time by the commissioner:

'Look, you can exchange life stories on your way to Heatherfield. For now get your asses to the armory. We're on the clock!'

Three minutes later…

As David entered the armory along with the rest of the F.E.A.R. team he gasped. It was more like a munitions dump: Guns, guns, more guns, bombs, etc. He noticed that Holiday was drooling.

'Holy crap!' Jin exclaimed. 'Someone call the Punisher and ask if he's missing something!'

Dave chuckled and picked up a nearby MP5 submachine gun and some grenades. He glanced at Holiday who armed himself with his favorite weapon, a 'Rakow' G2A2 assault rifle, and a few demolition charges. Meanwhile Jin charged her Type 9 particle beam rifle. The korean had found her calling as a sniper a year ago. But she never abandoned field medicine.

'_Thank god!'_ The point man thought as he put a few extra magazines in his side-pack.

He noticed that the new guys were carefully choosing their weapons. Ironically the Elite grabbed an '_Obregon_' MP-50 personal repeating cannon, while the 'Heavy' loaded the chaingun. The redhead's weapon of choice was a VK-12 combat shotgun and the one with the scars picked up a 10mm HV Penetrator. David was impressed.

'You know your guns!' He commended.

The Elite smirked and replied:

'We're full of surprises. By the way, I'm Alex. Alex Burton.'

'David Cole.' The point man introduced himself and shook his hand. 'This is Douglas Holiday, the present demo expert, and this is Jin Sun-Kwon. She's multi-skilled.'

Jin and Holiday nodded. The redhead stepped forward and said:

'I'm Audrey Jones.'

'Leon Vance, no title.' The 'Heavy' snarled.

'My name is Mark Freeman.' The scarred one informed them with a cold emotionless voice.

'Well, we-'

The voice of Betters boomed over the loud speakers:

'_Um, ladies and gentlemen, we don't have all day!'_

Dave sighed and turned to his team:

'Let's move!'

It took them exactly half a minute to reach the helicopter pad on the roof where a '_Black Hawk_' was waiting for them. They quickly boarded it and took their seats. As the point man stepped inside he thought:

'_Here we go again!'_

_Sorry it takes so long to update but I've got my hands full with schoolwork and other things!_


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

**Party time**

'_**Sheffield' institute, Heatherfield, USA**_

Matt Olsen picked up his guitar. He glanced at the rest of 'Cobalt Blue' who where eager to start.

'ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR!'

The amplifiers boomed with incredible force, knocking down several chairs. The group played for about fifteen minutes and just as Matt was singing the chorus of 'Flight of Icarus' Will Vandom entered the gym, plugging her ears with her hands. She waved, signaling the boys to stop.

'Ok, take five!' Ordered Matt. The other group members put their instruments down and relaxed. Will gave him a rather stern look.

'You do realize that you're causing an earthquake!'

'Practice makes perfect, you know!' Matt replied irritated.

They stared at each other for about ten seconds. Then suddenly they started laughing.

'Somehow I doubt that Knickerbocker is gonna enjoy 'Iron Maiden'!' Will started giggling.

'You're right! We should start with 'Slayer'!' Her boyfriend replied through tears. 'When does the party start, anyway?'

'At seven-thirty. By the way, you promised to help with the prep!'

'I know, I know…'

Taranee, Irma and Hay Lin entered the gym carrying large boxes, filled with what appeared to be mostly balloons. They dropped them at Will's feet.

'Hay Lin, I thought we agreed to go easy on the balloons this time!'

The other girl looked at her confused and replied:

'Actually we didn't…'

Will glanced at Taranee and Irma who nodded in confirmation. The Keeper of the Heart noticed that someone was missing.

'Wait, where's Cornelia?'

Irma shrugged her shoulders.

'I wouldn't be surprised if she's sipping coffee with Caleb!'

She had a point, Will thought. Cornelia wasn't famous for her eagerness to help others. She sighed:

'We don't have much time! How could she do this to us?!'

Irma raised her hands in an attempt to calm her friend down.

'Will, you worry too much. We'll make it, you'll see! Unless some disaster happens it should be a hell of a party…'

Will gave her a questioning look and replied with a sarcastic tone:

'Yeah, like that's something you don't see every day.'

The Water guardian ignored her and said:

'Let's get started!'

_**Meanwhile…**_

_**REPLICA convoy, en route to Heatherfield, ETA: Four hours**_

Riddle looked at his wristwatch. It was three-thirty. He glanced at the soldier sitting next to him and sensed his fatigue. They were all getting tired. The commander needed them to be in top shape for his plan to work. It was time for a break.

'All units, this is the commander. Hold position!' He ordered over the comlink.

The APC slowed down and stopped. Riddle got up and stretched his arms. He turned to the soldiers-'Let's get some air!'-and stepped outside. The REPLICA commander took a deep breath and exhaled out loud. He watched as the troop carriers pulled of the road and stopped. The Mi-24s landed next to them. The hundreds of soldiers were now rapidly jumping out of their vehicles, taking their helmets and masks of and enjoying the fresh mountain air. The commander was amazed by their resilience. They had been traveling for seven hours straight and yet they were still standing firm. It was like they were not even human.

'_The original host must have been one tough bastard.' _He thought and sat next to Sigma-Ten who handed him a water bottle. Riddle removed the cap and drained it with great delight. He wiped the water from his lips and turned to Sigma:

'How much fuel do we have left?'

'Seventy-five percent, sir!' The clone replied.

Riddle's eyes widened with surprise.

'How?'

'This is no ordinary fuel, sir. I'm not aware of its chemical composition but 'Armacham' are capable of anything.'

The other man chuckled and looked around. He felt the cold mountain wind in his face and sighed. It was nice to enjoy the simple things in life.

'_Time to lay down the game plan.' _Riddle thought and focused. Why waste his breath when he could just project his thoughts into their heads. It took a lot of effort but he succeeded. A loud '_Sir, yes, sir' _shook the mountain. He then once again turned to Sigma:

'We leave in an hour!'

The lieutenant commander saluted him.

**_F.E.A.R. transport chopper, en route to Heatherfield, ETA: Three and a half hours_**

David gripped the handle tighter as the strong wind rocked the helicopter. He peeked through the small window on the port side. They were now passing through the snowy mountains. The chopper needed refueling and they would have to stop at a F.E.A.R. checkpoint, located deeper into the rocky landscape. He looked at the rest of his teammates who seemed nervous. Two years had passed and yet he still could not believe that it was Holiday who was now standing before him and polishing his rifle. David remembered what Alma's minions did to him. He also remembered how she brought him and his other friends back in her final moments. It was the first and at the same time last gift from a tormented mother to her child. Fettel had said: '_Not many things make sense anymore'. _He was right.

'So…why did you join F.E.A.R.?' Jin suddenly asked.

Alex gave her a depressing look and replied:

'We can discuss it over a nice warm cup of coffee in the base.'

Jin nodded.

'Approaching base. Stand by!' The pilot informed them.

The team gathered around the small window. The mist was a slightly thick and visibility was moderate but not enough to hinder the flight. Suddenly something drew David's attention. A small figure appeared in the distance. It was impossible to say what it was but that soon changed. Leon shook his fist triumphantly.

'Finally!'

The chopper started its slow descend and soon landed on the base's helicopter pad. The side doors opened and the F.E.A.R. team jumped outside. The point man failed to see the small pot-hole in front of him and as he stepped forwards he tripped and fell.

'God!' He yelled.

Jin helped him while up chuckling and the group ran inside the base. Holiday closed the door behind them and turned on the lights. They were facing a long poorly-lit corridor with several doors on each side. Jin proceeded towards the second door on the left.

'This is the mess hall.' She informed them and took out a set of keys from her pocket. 'The chopper won't be ready for ten minutes so we might as well grab a bite.'

She unlocked the door and stepped inside.

'Sounds good to me!' Audrey stated and followed her. As the two women disappeared behind the threshold Holiday said:

'I'm gonna help the pilot.'

The others stared after him as he slammed the door shut. No one said anything. They just turned around and entered the mess hall. As they sat around the nearest table the kitchen door opened and Jin and Audrey appeared. They served coffee and took their seats.

'That was fast!' David said.

'Actually we just found it…'

The point man gave her a questioning look and tasted the coffee. It was warm.

'I thought the chief said that there was no one here!'

'There isn't.'

There was a sudden deadly silence. The lights above started to blink. Everyone looked up but everything was normal. Jin cleared her throat and turned to Alex.

'So why did you guys join F.E.A.R.?'

The commando put the mug down and rubbed his forehead.

'Because we got sick of guarding missile silos.' He replied frowningly.

Jin looked at him surprised. She then gazed upon the others who were nodding.

'I take it you expected to hear something else?'

'No…it's just that…never mind!'

Suddenly the lights went out and a breaking sound came from the kitchen. The F.E.A.R. team exchanged troubled glances and drew their sidearms. Audrey got up from the table and slowly headed towards the kitchen door while aiming her gun at it. She gripped the handle and opened the door quickly. Her pistol's flashlight illuminated the lightless room. There was nothing but a few pieces of glass on the floor.

'_Time to go_!' Holiday's yelled over the COM link, causing the entire team to jump.

Dave at his team and nodded to the left. They quickly got up and ran through the opened door. As they exited the base the lights inside disappeared. Mark felt a chill down his spine and he knew it wasn't the cold.

'Remind me to ask the chief about who built this base!' He requested while staring at the structure. His thoughts were interrupted by Leon who tapped on his shoulder. The colossus hinted at the Black Hawk which was ready for take of. Holiday was already inside. The rest of the team quickly joined him and the chopper took of. As the doors closed and darkness gripped the small space inside David felt Jin's hand on his hip.

**_Three and a half hours later_**

'_**Sheffield' institute, Heatherfield, USA**_

Will stepped on the small stage and overlooked the gym. Everything seemed to be in place: Food, drinks, chairs etc. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and sighed:

'Well, we made it!'

Irma gave her the most intelligent look she was capable of and replied with a rather reproofing tone:

'Girl, you worry too much. When we're on the job nothing can go wrong…Well…almost nothing…'

The two Guardians chuckled and sat on the ground. Hay Lin and Taranee entered the gym followed by Caleb and Cornelia. Irma jumped up the moment she saw the Earth Guardian.

'Well, what do you know? The prodigal child returns!' She said with a great dose of sarcasm in her voice.

Cornelia gave her a glare.

'Listen up, princess! We are sick and tired of your narcissistic behavior!' Irma continued. 'This is just like that car wash stunt you-'

'I WAS AT THE HOSPITAL! MY GRANDMOTHER PASSED AWAY, YOU DUCK!' The other girl screamed.

No one dared to make the next move. Irma was left speechless and Cornelia was about to burst in tears.

'I'm sorry…I-'

'Never mind.' The Earth Guardian replied .Her voice was shaking. 'Let's just get this thing going, alright?'

Caleb took her hand. The doors opened and a crowd of people entered. Soon the entire gym was full. 'Cobalt Blue' took their places and waited. A joyous thought passed through Taranee's mind:

'_This is gonna be one hell of a party!'_

_**REPLICA convoy, Heatherfield, USA**_

Sigma-Ten glanced at his commander who was standing motionless on the edge of the cliff. He decided to join him. Far bellow the lights of the huge city illuminated the pitch-dark night. Riddle crossed his hands and turned to him:

'How long will it take us to get down there?'

'Fifteen minutes, sir.'

'Is everything ready?'

'Yes, sir!'

The commander smirked.

'Then proceed as planned!'

Sigma nodded and returned to the APC. The gunships flew above Riddle and headed towards the city. He turned around and went back to the surveillance van. The convoy started its journey down the rocky road. Soon they reached the base of the mountain.

'_Phase one is under way!'_

Riddle fixed his sight on the radar screen. One hundred troop carriers pulled of the road and headed in separate directions.

'I don't want anything getting in or out! Understand?'

'_Sir!'_

The lights went out and the entire convoy held its position. The commander leaned back.

'Proceed with phase two!'

The APC started up and headed towards the city.The entire convoy followed them.Riddle focused:

_'Remember! We need them ALIVE! UNDERSTAND?!'_

_'Yes ,Sir!'_

They entered the city. The long line of vehicles attracted the attention of the bystanders on the streets. At every turn at least five troop carriers and a gunship helicopter detached from the main column and proceeded in different directions. The last thing Riddle needed right now was to attract unwanted attention. A clever idea crossed his warped mind. He focused all of his strenght and will power on one goal - to establish a telepathic link with every citizen of Hetherfield. He knew that was impossible , but he had to try. The success of this mission would be based on the element of surprise. He felt like a thousand needles were being shot through his brain.Befor he knew it Riddle fell on the floor and started screaming.

_'GO HOME! I COMMAND YOU!! '_

_**Back at "Sheffield"...**_

The party was going excelent. The musicians of 'Cobalt Blue' were playing like never before, the entire gym was shaking from the stomp of many feet. Everybody was having fun: dancing, laughing and feasting. Caleb and the girls gathered arround one of the tables.

'And you said that this was going to be a bust!' Irma said to Will.

Just as she reached for a sandwich she froze in her place. A horrible scream echoed in her head:

_'GO HOME! I COMMAND YOU!! '_

She quickly turned back, yelling:

'What the hell was that?'

The others looked at her confused.

'What do you mean?' Asked a frightened Heylin.

'You mean... you didn't hear it?...'

'Hear what?' Caleb queried.

At that moment principal Knickerbocker said over the microphone:

_'Thank you! Thank you all! You have no idea what this means to me and you have no idea how upset I am that I am leaving all of you. I'd also like to - '_

The lights went out.

'What the hell...?!'

Worrisome whispers started passing through the crowd surprised guests.

'Don't worry!' The principal started. 'Must be a power shortage. We have our own emergency power system. It should kick in in a few minutes. Janitor, please go see what the problem is!'

Will glanced out the window and noticed it was pitch-black. It looked like the entire city was out of power.Meanwhyle, the janitor proceeded towards the doors. He opened them and just as he was about to pass the thershold he bumped into something. Something hard and metally. The frightened man slowly looked up only to see four bright blue lights, resembling eyes, fixed on him. A deep, cold, sarcastic voice behind the obstacle said:

'Oh , don't mind us! We're just passing by...'


	4. Chapter 4

**So after what seems like an eternity in obscurity I have finally updated. Sorry for leaving ya'll high and dry like this but they've been giving us hell at school. Well…hope you enjoy the new chapter. The fun is just starting!**

**CHAPTER 4**

**Party crashers **

'**_Sheffield' institute, Heatherfield, USA_**

The tension was rising by the minute. Some of the students were starting to panic and the emergency power still hadn't kicked in.

'Will! Will!' The voice of Matt echoed.

'Matt! Follow my voice!'

The Keeper could not see a thing. The situation might have been a little more tolerable if the street lights were operating but that wasn't the case. Someone gripped her hand.

'Don't worry, it's me.'

'Why do I get a bad feeling about this?' Taranee asked.

'Taranee, see if you can locate the janitor by his body temperature!'

The other girl nodded. As the Flame Guardian she could sense heat anywhere in a four mile radius. Hay Lin once called her a human thermal scanner. The memory awoke feelings of joy inside her. She closed her eyes and concentrated. At first there was nothing but darkness. A second later a majority of human figures surrounded by a bright red halo appeared before her. It was difficult to make out who was who but the janitor should have left the by now. She focused on the exterior of the gym and noticed something strange. The school was supposed to be empty and yet she sensed at least a hundred people inside. There was also a lot of heat emanating just outside. The weird thing was that the signatures were all identical.

'Guys, we-'

The lights suddenly went back on and the crowd cheered from joy and relief. Taranee almost immediately fixed her sight on the entrance. She screamed and gripped her glass so tight that it broke and cut her hand. The answer to Will's question came before she even had the chance to ask: The janitor was lying motionless in a pool of blood on the floor. A large human figure was standing above him. Will wasn't sure if it was human or something else. It was covered in steel with four blue lamps on its face for eyes. The colossus was aiming a large gun at the janitor's body. This site made the other students scream in terror and rapidly fall back to a safe distance. Will glanced at the rest of her friends whose faces were curved from shock.

'Please remain calm and this won't happen to anyone else.' A voice behind the machine (or whatever it was) informed them. Caleb tried to see who it was but saw nothing but what appeared to be tens of heavily armed men in dark blue uniforms entering the gym and aiming their weapons at the terrified crowd. Their faces were obscured by tar-black helmets or masks.

'Who the hell are these guys?!' Cornelia almost screamed.

'I don't know but something tells me they aren't here to fix the cable!' Irma answered with a squeaky voice.

Five of the soldiers ran towards them, rifles at the ready. The leader yelled:

'DON'T YOU FUCKING MOVE!'

The girls froze. One of them grabbed Cornelia's hand and pulled her towards him. Another one did the same with Will.

'HEY!' Caleb and Matt bellowed in a chorus and charged at them. Before Caleb could react another soldier hit him in the face with the butt-end of his rifle. The boy fell on the ground with his nose bleeding.

Matt, on the other hand, received a very heavy blow in the lower torso and then a lighter one on his back. He doubled up with pain. At that moment a great deal of emotions filled his heart simultaneously. There was the shame, caused by knowing the fact that so many people had just witnessed how he was being beaten. There was also uneasiness. Whoever these people were they wanted something from the girls. And something told him that they would use any means necessary to get it. And of course there was anger and hatred. Matt could easily change into Shagon but that would create even more problems at the present. He had the power but he could not use it. It made him feel useless. He finally raised his head and saw how a soldier put a brown bag over Will's head.

His comrades followed his example.

'_Can't we do something?'_ Hay Lin reached for the other girls via telepathy.

'_Not when their holding us and the others at gunpoint!' _Will objected.

'_The entire campus is crawling with them. I sensed it when I was searching for the janitor-'_

'_Oh, I'm sorry, girls, but that's quite enough.' _ A distant voice ordered.

Taranee shrieked and lost consciousness.

'_This is bad!'_ Cornelia thought as she felt the strings tightened.

'Move!' A soldier ordered and pushed her.

After much hesitation the five of them went along quietly. As he watched them being carried away Matt spat some blood on the floor. Caleb seemed to be equally disturbed. The two boys saw the rage in each others eyes. It was like Matt could read his friend's thoughts and vise versa. In an act of desperation they rose and attacked their enemies. The last thing Matt saw was the collapsing Caleb and an incoming fist.

Riddle watched as his men left the gymnasium with his 'prize'. This time there would be no escape for them. They would not risk the lives of their loved ones to break free. He knew this because he had spent months studying them. One could say that he knew them better than they knew themselves. But one matter remained unclear to him: what was the source of their incredible power. He would have to break them in order to understand.

'_Not a problem.'_ He thought. They were too sentimental for their own good. All he needed to do was to make them watch their friends suffer if they resisted his influence. And something told him that they would...

Riddle sat behind the desk of the principal and rubbed his eyes. He was exhausted. Keeping the soldiers awake was no where near as hard as activating them. But taking control over an entire city, even for a few moments...that was a challenge. He was also busy maintaining the psychic barrier between the girls. It was imperative that they stayed helpless.

It was all worth it, though. Soon he would have the means to exact his revenge. Riddle closed his eyes and tried to picture the future. What he saw was beautiful: Fire sweeping over the earth, bodies in the streets, cities turned to dust...Retribution. He would make them pay for everything they had done to him. To her...

Sigma-Ten rushed inside, interrupting his thought. Riddle didn't have to be psychic to know that the lt. commander was going to make his kidneys hurt.

'Sir, long-range scan confirms incoming enemy forces!'

The commander sighed heavily. He knew that this was inevitable .

'More specifically?'

'One US 'Black Hawk'.'

'Take them out as soon as they come into weapons range and prepare to relocate the hostages!'

_**F.E.A.R. transport chopper, en route to Heatherfield, ETA: Five minutes**_

'Ok, chief! What's the situation?'

'Satellite feed shows a total blackout in the city. My guts tell me we've just found our man.' Betters briefed them over the radio.

'Did you find anything on this guy?' Mark** asked.**

'Well, I did some digging and here's what I found: He's an elite government agent with psychic abilities. A few months ago he was given an assignment and after that he just dropped off the face of the Earth...'

'And the assignment was...'

'Observation. He was supposed to gather information about...get this: five high-school girls in Heatherfield. The weird thing is that it was marked as a matter of national security. It says here, he was supposed to update the feds in weekly intervals. He failed to report in after the first week.'

David puckered his brows. This all seemed to familiar.

'Did you say five school girls?!'

'Yep...'

The point man tried to picture these so called school girls breaking into a government facility and stealing a nuclear missile. The idea was absurd. But then again...he remembered a certain little girl in a red dress.

'_Den mother, approaching-'_

Dave heard a silent hissing noise. He examined his surroundings, hopping that it was just the wind. The noise was getting louder by the second. His eyes widened with terror. It sounded just like a…

'_INCOMING MI-'_

Before the pilot could finish an explosion rocked the chopper, sending the F.E.A.R. team across the small space inside. The beeping of the fire alarm was soon joined by the pilot's alerting yell:

'_WE'RE HIT! REPEAT-WE'RE HIT! GOING DOW-'_

The control panel in front of him exploded. A shrapnel shot through his chest, killing him almost instantly. Smoke started to fill the cockpit and soon the rest of the helicopter. The point man rushed to the pilot's seat, coughing along the way. The entire cockpit was in flames. Dave jumped back and was caught by Leon and Mark. The chopper was shaking itself apart.

NOW AIN'T THIS JUST MAGICAL?! 'Holiday yelled while putting his helmet on. 'HOLD ON TO SOMETHING!!!'

Jin and Audrey sat beside him and buckled up. Alex, Mark and Dave gripped the handles above them while Leon grabbed a fire extinguisher and started spraying in random directions. This act of desperation gave somewhat fruitful results: The fire was gone but the chopper was descending rapidly. It was going to be a very rough landing.

'JUST LIKE OLD TIMES, EH?!'

_**Back at 'Sheffield'…**_

The Replicas formed the crowd of hostages in a column. Caleb's nose had finally stopped bleeding and Matt was feeling a little better. One thing was for sure-these guys could hit. The boy massaged his jaw with his hand and whispered a question to his friend:

'Now what?'

'I've got nothing. How about-'

A soldiers pushed him rudely.

'No talking!'

The two boys looked at him with contempt and carried on silently. Right now there was only one thing on Matt's mind-the girls. The suspense was driving him insane. Where were they? What was to become of them? Matt heard something behind him and looked back. Knickerbocker(NOTE: Who the hell came up with this name?!) was trying to calm the other students. She, however, seemed even more frightened than them.

The crowd was herded outside. The entire city seemed to be out of power. Matt looked up to the sky, hoping that the answer to their problems would just smack him in the face like the soldier did. He could hear the unmistakable sound of many feet all around him. Then he heard radio chatter:

'_Gamma Company, this is Sigma-Ten. Primary mission objective complete.'_

'_Understood!'_

And just like that the street lights went on. The nearby buildings were illuminated from the inside and soon the unbreakable darkness was dispersed. Although that would have been considered a good thing at the moment something else attracted Caleb's attention:

The attackers had formed a circle around them, aiming their guns but standing motionless. A large metallic figure was standing next to him. But it wasn't that…'thing' that shot the janitor although it DID have a human shape. It was three times larger than him with what appeared to be cannons attached to its arms. Its steel joints squeaked as it turned around and strode to the back entrance of the school with near-human speed. Considering its size and probably its weight that was amazing. When it reached the wide doors the metallic monster turned about-face and held its position. There was something written on its upper torso-REV6. Caleb had seen something like this before. He remembered watching a show at Cornelia's house with these things. They were called mechs or artificial powered exoskeletons. But he was told it was only fiction. He suddenly felt a strong draught coming from above. The boy looked up and saw a bright light shining down upon them. It moved on with great speed to the west and disappeared.

The same trooper that had mentioned something about a mission objective a few minutes ago climbed on a larger crate nearby and overlooked the crowd like a shepherd watches over his herd.

From the sudden static that was heard it was apparent that he was about to tell them something. However he did not get the chance to express himself. The reason was the loud explosion that was heard in the distance. Everyone ducked simultaneously, some screaming, others-whispering.

The soldier wasted no time and turned to his comrade:

'_Whose area is that?!'_

'_Bravo company, sir!'_

The other man tapped on his helmet. At first there was nothing but static. All of the sudden he yelled:

'_This is Sigma-Ten. Report!'_

He did not have to wait long for a reply:

'_A chopper crashed in the warehouse district. We're on our way to secure the area.'_

'_Roger that. Check in at ten minute intervals.'_

**_Meanwhile…_**

Will Vandom and her friends had gone up against the universe. Wherever there was evil they vanquished it. They had managed to defeat all manners of monsters, demons, mages and many more. Yes, there was nothing that could stop them. Until now…

Will had never thought that they would ever be catched so unprepared. Although she had seen many things that had left her stunned and speechless this was something new. The girl had pictured this night slightly different. Instead of having fun with her friends she was now tied to a chair in a classroom with armed men guarding her and a bomb attached to her chest. Despite everything she had been through in the last two years this was the first time she was afraid. It was ironic.

The bomb kept beeping silently every two seconds. And each time it did a small red light blinked. Will could have tried to disable it through Quintessence but she thought that it was too risky. Even if she short-circuited the device she knew that she could move fast enough to stop the gunmen from shooting her. She was helpless.

The girl kept wondering where her friends were at this time. And most of all-were they alright? Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. The nearest soldier opened it. Will heard a cold and calm voice:

'Are they all secured?'

'Yes sir!'

There was a brief pause.

'Good.'

The mysterious speaker entered the room. He was a tall man in his early thirties with pail skin and short black hair. The lights started to blink. As Will looked into his deep blue eyes she felt something terribly wrong. She heard his voice in her head:

'_Good evening, miss Vandom. I'm looking forward to getting acquainted with you'_


	5. Chapter 5

_So…here we are again. Sorry this took so long but I was up to my neck with, for a lack of a more civilized term suited for this kind of situation, crap! Enjoy!_

**CHAPTER 5**

**Down the drain**

_**F.E.A.R. transport crash site, Heatherfield, USA**_

Dave slowly opened his eyes. Every single bone in his body was acking him. It was like someone had beaten him with a baseball bat for hours. He moaned silently from pain and tried to move his head. Judging by the surroundings it was apparent that the chopper had crashed into some kind of factory. He could hear the silent whisper of flame. But where were his teammates?

'Glad to see you're still alive.' Someone said behind him.

He looked back and saw Jin smiling over him. She seemed a little banged up herself.

'Yeah, too bad I don't feel that way.'

Jin helped him up. He was still a little dazed but he would be alright.

'Where are we?'

'Beats me!' Someone answered him. Startled, the point man turned around and saw Alex who was kneeling over Audrey and examining her. She seemed fine from where Dave was standing but after he took a closer look he noticed that Burton was actually treating her left arm. She yelled from both pain and anger as Alex tightened the bandages. He tried to calm her down:

'Hey, I'm doing the best I can here!'

She chuckled.

'I expect you to do a little better tomorrow night.'

The soldier smirked and stood up. In the meantime Mark was crouching in front of a nearby window and looking through a binocular. Their 'spectacular arrival' was sure to attract unwanted attention. But where was Doug? The answer to that question came quickly as Dave saw Leon behind him, who was carrying the demolition expert on his back. He was out cold.

'Where are we anyway?' The point man asked while looking for his submachine gun.

'A shoe factory by the looks of it.' Audrey answered through a silent moan.

She was right. Although this place was abandoned Dave could see different kinds of footwear everywhere around them. By the looks of it they had crashed on the main production floor.

Jin tapped on her COM link and tried to contact Betters.

'Tomcat, this is Little Bird! Come in, over.'

There was no response. The korean remained patient.

'Repeat-Tomcat, this is Little Bird. COME IN!'

Heavy static was heard and Jin quickly decreased the volume.

'Li-…this-…-at, we re-…-ver!'

'Please repeat last message!' Jin yelled.

'You-…inco-…REPLI-…north!'

Suddenly Mark jumped up. His scarred face was expressing both worry and to Dave's surprise-some twisted form of joy.

'We've got company!'

Everyone gathered around the window and kept a low profile. Mark gave the point man his binoculars. Dave turned on the night vision mode and looked through it. At first he saw nothing but that soon changed. As he zoomed in he saw three APCs approaching from the city. They would arrive soon. The point man turned to his friends:

'What do ya say we…greet them?'

The others smiled with great delight. At that moment Holiday woke up.

'Uh…wha-'

'Save it for later, Doug! The welcome wagon's coming!'

That statement woke him up completely. He jumped off Leon's back and drew his sidearm.

'Glad to see you're ok, buddy.' Dave commended. 'Alright boys and girls! Lock and load!'

An order was an order. The F.E.A.R. team readied their weapons and Mark took another peak out the window. The troop carriers had stopped in front of the factory. Their headlights were turned off. He could hear the unmistakable sound of many feet but could see little more than tens of tiny lights rushing towards the building.

'They're here! Take cover!'

Silently the commandos scattered throughout the production floor and took cover. Dave and Alex ducked behind a large table at the other end of the massive room while Jin hurried up the nearby stairs leading to a small office. She could see everything that was going on below. It was a perfect vantage point. She charged her energy rifle and aimed it at the large door far ahead. Mark, Audrey and Doug placed deployable turrets on the ground and on the walls and joined Dave and Alex, who had found his undamaged 'Obregon' MP-50 in the wreckage. Leon checked his chaingun one last time and aimed it at the door. They waited patiently for the incoming enemy soldiers. The suspense was growing with every second. The sound of many footsteps behind the door was getting stronger. Suddenly it stopped. Sweat appeared all over Dave's face. It started seeping through his dark blue balaclava mask. Alex, who apparently was as strained as him noticed the tiny drop hanging from his chin. Finally it fell on the floor and disrupted the deadly silence. Without warning the doors were slammed opened and REPLICA soldiers ran inside.

'FIRE!' The point man yelled and pulled the trigger. The stream of yellow tracers hit the nearest clone and went through his torso.

His comrades noticed them and laid down suppressive fire while taking cover.

'LEON! KILL THE BASTARDS!'

The colossus nodded and stood up. The incoming bullets bounced of his armored chest and hit the walls and floor. One particular pierced the piece of ground between Dave's legs.

'GOT A PRESENT FOR YA'LL!'

The screams of fallen Replicas were joined by Leon's maniacal laughter as he slowly proceeded towards them, mowing them down with his chaingun, bullets still ricocheting of his metal hide. One of the soldiers tossed a grenade at him but Leon used his weapon as a bat and kindly returned it to them. The resulting explosion ripped several clones to pieces. In the meantime Dave, Mark and Alex were progressing towards Leon's exposed position in an attempt to aid him. The point man ducked to reload and noticed a charred human skeleton beside him. He glanced at the office and saw how a light blue beam of energy shot from the darkness. It hit a Replica at the far end of the room, incinerating him instantly. Although Dave couldn't see Jin he knew that she was staring at him. He blew a kiss at the darkness and re-engaged the enemy. The point man's ears ringed as Burton's 'Obregon' mass driver hurled destruction at their foes. Each time it fired the recoil caused Alex take a step backwards. Whether the shells hit the soldiers or nearby objects the outcome was the same. The sudden release of massive amounts of kinetic energy on impact sent the Replicas flying around as if they were hit by a hurricane. The few remaining soldiers fell back, guns still blazing. Leon attempted to go after them but he was too slow.

'I got it!' Mark stated and hurried back to the window. The soldiers had just run out in panic and were heading towards their transports with full speed. Mark carefully aimed and fired. The silent whistle of the flying AP rounds was heard and the Replicas were nailed to the ground.

'And that's that!'

The F.E.A.R. team formed up. Jin had managed to fix her radio.

'Chief, are you there?'

'_I read ya!'_

'So what's the word?'

'I'm not sure what the official military term is but you're in deep st! Satellite feed shows substantial enemy presence throughout the entire city.'

Dave sighed:

'Nice…'

'And did you determine their objective?' Jin queried.

'Not yet.'

At that moment something came to Burton's mind. He raised his hand, indicating that he had something to say.

'Uh, chief…what did you say earlier about that Riddle guy? Something about high school girls, right?'

A brief pause followed. Then Betters replied:

'I see what you're getting at, Burton! By the way I managed to persuade the feds to give us some more info. Get away from the crash site and I'll tell you all about it.'

'Where should we go?' Dave asked impatiently.

'How about the sewers?' Audrey suggested. Everybody fixed their eyes on her. 'Think about it. We can sneak into the city without alerting them.'

'Considering that they're not patrolling the underground as well.' Jin said.

'I don't see any other option.'

Holiday made up a lip and said:

'Great…I took a shower just two hours ago.'

Dave patted him on the back.

'Let's roll.'

_**Outside 'Sheffield', Heatherfield, USA**_

'_Bravo leader, come in! Bravo leader, report!'_

Matt carefully observed the soldier as he held his index finger pressed against his helmet. He wore a light red cloth mask, making it impossible to see his face. The front part of the mask was white giving him the intimidating look of a skull. The frightening look was complimented by his glowing yellow eyes. The rest of his body was covered in black Kevlar.

'_I want a recon unit out there on the double!' _

Another soldier next to him nodded, turned around and ran of. His superior grabbed a loud speaker and turned it on.

'_Attention! We have assumed control of the city. All civilians must return to their homes immediately! Anyone caught wandering outside will be considered hostile and will be treated as such. You have thirty minutes to comply .This is your only warning!'_

He put the speaker down and jumped of the crate. Muttering something to his comrades he proceeded towards the school building. The mech guarding the door moved aside long enough for him to enter. The soldiers closed in. They started pushing the frightened crowd to a nearby wall. To everyone's surprise the wall collapsed into a pile of debris. Another mech was standing on the other side. He backed away and went to the right. Matt and Caleb were shocked from what they saw. It was true. These people were everywhere. Soldiers were calmly walking down the street, some escorting the Heatherfield citizens, while others were entering buildings and occupying them. The draft from above was felt once more as another light passed above them.

'_A chopper…' _Matt thought as he and Caleb went through the shattered wall and stepped on the sidewalk. For a second he hesitated. They still didn't know where the girls were. He wanted to go look for them but he knew that the result would be getting shot. He was waiting for them to make a mistake.

'_Keep moving!' _ A man's voice behind them ordered. Without bothering to look back the two boys started walking down the street. Of course they weren't planning on going home. Caleb approached his friend with a question while looking at the opposite direction:

'So…now what?'

'Now we find out where they're keeping the girls.'

'And how do you suggest we do that?'

The other boy remained silent. For a minute nothing came to his mind. Then it hit him.

'I've got an idea.' He whispered as he saw a soldier heading towards them. He was just going to go pass them but Matt had other plans. They were approaching a dark alley.

'Ok, here's what I want you to do…' He started loud enough for the passing soldier to hear him. 'Go to your place and get those Molotov cocktails. Then meet me on the south corner of '_Backer' _street.'

At that moment the armed man passed very close by them. They continued their walk. Matt peeked back and saw how he froze in his place and glanced back at them.

'Run! Follow me!' Matt whispered and ran into the alley. As he turned around the corner he heard a loud 'Hey!' but kept going forward. Caleb was right beside him. The two of them went deeper into the darkness. Their pursuer was closing in; they could hear his quickening footsteps. It was now or never. Matt led out a ferocious growl and green light illuminated his body.

The soldier ran down the alley and saw the bright flash coming from around the distant corner. He armed his rifle and aimed it at the darkness and turned on his head lamp. But when he turned around the corner he saw nothing. Then something caught his attention: A white hat was lying at his feet. He picked it up and examined it. To his dismay he was too busy with it to notice Shagon, the Regent of Earth, who came out of the shadows behind him. The demon grabbed him by the shoulders and threw him against the wall behind him. A blunt crashing sound was heard and the soldier fell in the dumpster bellow.

'You're gonna answer a few questions whether you like it or not.'

He looked up. Although it was dark his helmet's nightvision mode was on, allowing him to see his assailant. His face was completely motionless.

'Ok, first: Who the hell are you?'

His lips didn't even move. It was like he was wearing a mask. The creature grabbed his vest and raised him high.

'I'll ask you again: Who the hell are you and what do you want from us?'

He sounded impatient. And although the soldier was trained to resist interrogation he felt he didn't need to. It was unexplainable. In fact he felt inclined to share information with him. But it was not fear. It was something else. Something mystical. He could not resist it.

'We've come for Willma Vandom, Irma Lair, Taranee Cook, Cornelia Hail and Hay Lin.'

There was a silent pause. His attacker continued with his questions:

'What for?'

'Our commander wants them alive and unharmed. I don't know why.'

'Final question and you better give me a satisfying answer: Where are they?'

'They're at the school.'

'Thanks! Sweet dreams!'

He was hit in the face and lost consciousness.

'Nice punch!' Caleb asked.

'Thanks.'

'There's no way we can fight our way into 'Sheffield'. I'd be much easier to sneak in.' Caleb suggested while rubbing his eyes.

'From where?'

Matt's question was answered the moment his friend gazed at his feet. He was standing above a sewer ladder.

'Oh, crapberries!'

_**Back at 'Sheffield'…**_

'What do you want from us?!'

'I want everything, miss Vandom. Now, if you cooperate we can make this SLIGHTLY less painful.'

Will looked at him with both fear and determination. Who was he and why was he doing this? There was something very odd about his eyes. They were hollow, devoid of all life. Something was definitely wrong about this man.

'Let's begin, shall we?'

'Go to hell!'

'Been there, done that.' He replied with a very serious voice.

Will gave him a questioning look. Surprise was written all over his face. Apparently he didn't mean to say that. He cleared his voice and nodded at one of the soldiers. He approached him and took out a syringe out of one of his belt pouches. Riddle grabbed Will's fiery red hair and pulled her head back. He nearly ripped of a lock. The soldier raised the syringe and gently shot her in the neck. Will felt pain but gripped her teeth and remained silent. She felt lighter and less inclined to resist. She tried to focus. Revealing their secrets was not an option. But then she heard the man's voice in her head:

'_Do not resist. Let me in.'_

Will did not have the strength to fight it. She began to recall everything that had occurred in the last two years: The war against Phobos, Nerissa's deeds, everything…

'_Excellent…I think that we'll become great friends, Will.'_

Darkness engulfed her. She was all alone in an endless void, surrounded by fire. It was a nightmare. Then she heard a horrible scream. It sounded like…her mother! Will's eyes widened with terror. She rose up and ran to where the screams were coming from. One would say that it was irrelevant since she wasn't going anywhere. Her hands and legs began to shake in fear and desperation. But then she focused for a second and made an important revelation: None of this was real! All she had to do was to remember that.

'_Die!'_

Will turned back as fast as the lightning she wielded and saw tens of…things jumping out of the darkness. It was impossible to say what they were. They had glowing yellow eyes, no nose, mouth or legs. They were hovering towards her with great speed. Will stood her ground and raised her hands at them. Lightning shot from her fingers and hit one of the creatures. It disappeared in a cloud of black smoke. Will cut through the others just as easily. As they vanished she heard:

'_Impressive…'_

Will was starting to get annoyed. It was bad enough that he had ruined the party. Now he was toying with her. It was time to try her luck. She aimed at a random part of the darkness and hurled lightning at it. She persisted and kept channeling. Then suddenly the spot she was shooting at was illuminated. Will stopped and took a closer look. Her plan was working-she had created a fracture in the nightmare realm. She continued to bombard the spot with lightning, forcing it wider and wider.

'_Even if you escape, where will you go?'_

She ignored him. The rift had grown large enough for her to move through. She ran towards the light, killing the creatures that were coming at her from both sides. As she finally reached the threshold she leapt through. The light engulfed her.

'_Hm…impressive…you're more powerful than I had imagined.' _

This time Will noticed something strange. The voice…it was different. It wasn't that man, although it sounded a bit like him. It was a lot more sinister and threatening. But who was it?

She didn't have time to speculate as the light disappeared and she returned to the real world.

She was still bound to the chair with the bomb on her chest. One thing had changed, though:

Her psychic assailant seemed horrified. His face was curved with fear.

'WATCH HER_!'_

He turned around and ran out of the room with full speed. The soldiers stared after him, apparently confused. Will thought that this night couldn't get any weirder. She was fed up. It was time to act. She concentrated and ran a light electrical surge through her body. The beeping sound, made by the bomb's detonator disappeared. The soldiers reacted with lightning speed and approached her, rifles up. Will wasted no time in hurling a strong charge at one of them. He was thrown back against the door and broke through it. Now confident that the bomb wasn't going to blow she electrocuted the others. Using Quintessence she unhooked the bomb and freed herself. Her sight turned to the exit. She was shocked to realize that she had killed everyone. The smoldering corpse of the first soldier she hit was lying against the wall in the hallway. A bit scared to approach it Will carefully peeked around the corner. To her surprise the hallway was deserted. She had expected it to be swarming with these…people. Something was out of place. Either this was some sort of trap or they had really left. Will stopped to think. There was no way to determine where her friends were being held. Then she got an idea-Taranee. The Fire Guardian was linked to the others via telepathy, allowing them to communicate on a psychic level. If she wasn't too far away, that is.

'_Taranee! Can you hear me?'_

After a brief moment of silence, Will heard a faint echo:

'_Will…we're in…we're in the chemlab…'_

'_Are you ok?'_

'_They…I don't- they shot us up with something…'_

'_I'm coming don't worry.'_

Will sighed and ran down the hallway. On her way she pulled out the Heart of Kandrakar and said:

'Guardian, unite!'

The jewel started glowing with growing intensity. The light engulfed her and enveloped her in a sphere of energy. Soon it dissipated and Will emerged in her Guardian form. Navigating through the empty corridor, she quietly said:

'Don't worry guys. I'm coming!'

_To be continued…_


End file.
